Science & Technology

Humans are growing a spike on their skulls

By T.K. Randall
June 15, 2019 ·  16 comments

Smartphone use can have unexpected consequences. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 simonwai / Flickr This unexpected feature, which is known as an external occipital protuberance, is present in a growing number of people - especially young adults - and it is thought that smartphones are to blame.

"I have been a clinician for 20 years, and only in the last decade, increasingly, I have been discovering that my patients have this growth on the skull," said health scientist David Shahar.

The cause of this anomalous growth is thought to be, not cellphone radiation, but the way people constantly bend their necks at awkward angles to look at the screens of mobile devices.This type of activity can put additional pressure on the area where the neck muscles attach to the skull, prompting the body to react by laying down new bone to help redistribute the weight.

The resulting bony spike, which measures up to 1.4 inches, is present in 41% of 18 to 30-year-olds.

If you place your fingers in just the right place, you may even be able to feel it for yourself.

Thankfully though, this unusual new feature is thought to be completely harmless.

Source: Live Science | Comments (16)

Tags: Smartphone, Bone, Skull